Safety

Safety

Safety is #1

At Swim Fins, safety is #1. You must, at all times, scan your classes. Every child’s face should be seen every 5 seconds. Look for signs of distress.

1. Make sure kids don’t take off their belts (remember they are only kids).  Accidents are called accidents because you didn’t expect them, and drowning can occur in as little as 4 seconds.

2. Do not push off the wall (especially when doing back strokes)

3. Stay in appropriate lane

4. Do not dive underneath other kids especially when diving for rings

5. No kicking each other in flippers

6. No touching each other. Watch for children holding onto each other.

7. Be aware of stairs’ edge. Can be sharp.

8. No running on the deck

9. No walking in flippers on the deck

10. Open all the doors slowly; there might be a child on the other side of the door!

11. No diving underneath the ladder.

Safety Reminders—#1 Priority (even if you don't get anything done during the class)

1. Watch Mouths

2. No diving

3. Hold kids’ hands – no running

4. Always face pool – eyes never leave

5. Scan even when talking to kids, getting goggles, fixing goggles

6. Watch kids standing on stairs

7. Make sure kids don’t hit heads on wall or each other

8. Use short lanes more

9. Get 5 fingers before you talk so can scan effectively

10. 1Every 5 seconds see kids faces (Mouth (Chocking on Water?) Eyes (Wide?)

11. Adjust your body so you can see your whole class

12. Watch blind spots in pool

13. Make sure all parts of pool bottom are visible – move around to make it happen

14. Use short lanes (when safety (less than 6 years)

15. No jumping in (too dangerous at this point)

Safety Tips

1. Scanning (not fixating): Scan the rest of the pool, don’t fixate on what you’re doing.

2. Move around every 5 seconds: Just think, move your eyes. Don’t trust anyone, kids take off their flippers, belts, each other’s belts, so don’t trust anyone.

3. Don’t have your back turned to the class: Always try to be where you can see all your kids

4. Belts:

   • Belts go on BEFORE they enter the water and come off AFTER they climb out of the pool. 

   • Tie your belts tight and tuck the little back part in so it doesn’t come off. If you don’t tie them tight and tie the little tail in they get looser and looser and kids slip out of them. If they are under the age of 8, they must wear a belt until they wait their turn. Belts are non-negotiable. If kids fight you on it, you need to fight them back. If they’re in private lessons, it’s one thing… but if it’s semi-private or group lessons, it is NON-NEGOTIABLE. You must be firm and say “this is for safety, you have to wear this belt.” There are no ifs, ands, or buts. Kids are not to take belts off, siblings are not to take belts off, YOU are to take the belts off… otherwise the kids get into a bad habit of taking them off whenever they feel like it. If they take it off, it is a serious warning. Find that good cop/bad cop personality that you need to be able to do. See link below to view a video on how to put belts on safely (this video link is also found on the Coach Resources Website. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KtMb12ClPnb1zClu8GLmaXPZFCUYb5El/view

5. Don’t let kids go into the pool without asking: Start all this on day 1. Make sure they ask to go in, you will save a kid’s life one day I guarantee it. 

6. Kids crashing in lanes: Lesson 1: find them a lane that works for them. Do not switch it after lesson 1, that’s, that is their lane. They get used to how close they need to be to the wall, they get used to how close they need to be to their friend, they get used to how to navigate that lane. Otherwise, you’re looking at head injuries and kids crashing into each other with flippers. So find a lane right away using the stickers. Abbotsford just use flippers because it’s not allowed. Spread kids out. Two kids in outer lanes and one in the middle.

7. No jumping into the pool: In your guys’ samples that you see in your Open House Lesson Plans, it does say jump but it DOESN’T MEAN OFF THE SIDE, it means off the second stair. There is no jumping. Kids turn around and smash their teeth on the side. If a kid jumps again, you’re stern with it.

8. Hot tubs: Not allowed in. Not kids, not adults, we have no insurance.

9. Fall ins: Have your hand behind kids back so if they decide to turn around and grab the wall (because scared) they don’t take out teeth on the wall. 

Is a Child Safe?

Test all children under the age of four.

If you need any additional information or assistance, please reach out to the office and we will have someone assist you.